Home Care

KWA Rally for Respect is a Huge Success

Monday, February 8, 2010

KWA Executive Director Peter Ansara is the only union employer who has tried to take away worker pay and benefits. He wants KWA home care workers to pay their own L&I (workers compensation), and he’s locking workers out of training by trying to keep half of the state-paid training funds.

(Click on the picture above to see more pictures from the Rally for Respect.)

More than 90 Korean Women's Association (KWA) home care workers, 775NW members and community allies rallied in support of a fair contract for KWA workers.

KWA bargaining team member Debbie Moore of Yelm spoke about the challenges of making ends meet on her current rate of pay.

She said she can't imagine what will happen if she has to pay 30 cents per hour for L&I (Workers' Compensation).

We also heard from Tacoma City Councilmember Ryan Mello and from Alice Woldt of the Washington Association of Churches.


Respect for Workers Equals Respect for Clients


Sign our Petition in Support of KWA Home Care Workers

Watch what happened when KWA held "mandatory" anti-union meetings on February 1st.

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$400 Million In Higher Wages & Benefits For Home Care Workers

Over the last five years, by uniting together with SEIU Healthcare 775NW and holding politicians accountable, home care workers have won $400 million in higher wages and benefits for home care workers. In March, the legislature approved funding for our new union contract for individual provider home care workers and funding for agency caregivers as well. Under the new contract individual provider caregivers will see wages increase to $9.73 in July 2007 and $10.03 in July 2008, and thousands of hours that were unfairly cut because of the Shared Living Rule will be restored in October 2007.

Before the union came, I was making just over minimum wage with no benefits. With our contract, we've gotten a 40% pay increase since we got the union and our starting pay is over $10/hour. We also have worker's compensation, health, dental, and vision and insurance and paid vacations!

– Janet Rodriguez, home care worker